ok so i bought my AR15 and also got 5 pmag mags which i think are the 2nd gen mags but they did not come with the dust covers is it ok to leave these mags loaded all the time or is it better to unload them while in storage,if i had the dust covers would this make a difference on the loaded or unloaded storage question.

i have a 10 pack of magpul AR15 mags on backorder from brownells but since there is no telling how long it will be for them to come in i have been looking for other mags. i found some from a company called tapco and they are about 12.00 each are they any good should i pick up some or should i wait for my magpul's to come in. if the magpuls are better ill just wait for my order to come in and leave those tapcos on the shelf for others to pick up as im sure im not the only person looking for mags haha.

You'll get conflicting info on leaving mags loaded or not, personally I change out my mags monthly for the ones I keep loaded, but I have heard several people say that, it is the use that wears mags out, meaning the compressing and decompressing of the spring. I personally don't buy that, but it's out there. The reason I personally swap the mags out monthly is, I have heard numerous stories of mags failing to feed the last couple of rounds reliably, after they've sat loaded for a couple of years, when they worked fine previously. JMO, Bill

I heard or read somewhere the dust covers were said to be there to keep the feed lips from the pressure of the rounds pushing back up. Don't know if there is any truth to it. I just load mine and rotate every few months.

Two years ago I found two mags that I had loaded during the come-home from Desert Storm. I was tasked with bringing automatic weapons from our demobilization post, back to our home armory. I loaded two magazines with ball 5.56 ammo and made the trip without incident. After we'd secured the weapons in the armory, I realized that I still had the magazines, so I dropped them in my ruck sack. threw the sack in the pickup truck and came home. This was in July, 1991.

I got busy after the war, and forgot about those magazines. I found them in June, 2011 and took them to the range for our qualifications with the Sheriff's office. I shot that ammo for qualification, and took the new ammo that I was issued as replacement stocks.

I know for a fact that those two magazines stayed loaded from July 1991 to June 2011. They fired just fine, no problems no glitches. That's one month short of two decades. I personally don't think it hurts anything to leave a magazine loaded.

You can load them and leave them that way without the dust covers. The Magpul guys over at ARFcom have said that they have some loaded without dust covers... they've been that way for years without a problem.

With the revision of the Pmag to the 3rd generation, the 2nd gen (Rev M) ones have been relabeled to the MOE Pmag and they ditched the dust cover. It's just not needed.

This email link is to reach site administrators for assistance, if you cannot access TFL via other means. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin.

If you are experiencing difficulties posting in the Buy/Sell/Trade subforums of TFL, please read the "sticky" announcement threads at the top of the applicable subforum. If you still feel you are qualified to post in those subforums, please contact "Shane Tuttle" (the mod for that portion of TFL) via Private Message for assistance.

This email contact address is not an "Ask the Firearms Expert" service. Such emails will be ignored. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums.